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Being ‘out of action’ is difficult

Dinky is hard work, whether it is due to her being 7, her ASD-PDA, her ADHD or her SPD. She keeps me in my toes.

Last week I was in and out of hospital having tests ect to find that I have pleurisy. This week I have been on some strong painkillers, sleeping a lot and trying to do as I am told- resting.

Breathing hurts and moving hurts, so I’ve been ‘out of action’ so to speak and had to rely on my dad which I don’t like doing.

Dinky has been quite good about it all. But it has been tough. My dad has had to come over everyday after work to help me with Dinky. She has been really avoidant and very emotional about everything. She has had lots of outbursts and meltdowns which mostly included trashing her bedroom.

One of the benefits to being a single parent is that Dinky gets consistent parenting from me. There is no one to challenge my strategies or undermine me. Dinky and I have a way of doing things which works for us. So add in my dad, and I have to constantly remind him how to talk to Dinky and how to reduce demands to her level of coping.

School have been great and they haven’t pushed her which has been great.

Dinky has also been distracted by Christmas build up.

Most autistic kids don’t like decorations due to change, usually Dinky finds change hard, but she adores the sparkly decorations and the lights that come with Christmas.

She loves decorating the tree and opening her Lego advent calendar.

We have been fortunate enough to be able to book a Santa sleepover at Legoland hotel which she is really looking forward to. She has wanted to stay there since she found the YouTube videos which give tours of the hotel. Everytime we go to Legoland she asks if we are staying overnight!

She has been watching that YouTube video a lot!

She can recite it word for word!

I have had to tell my dad that he can’t say ‘if you don’t behave you won’t go’. I will not use our first hotel visit to a place she adores as a bargaining chip to get her to comply to mine or my dads wishes. That is not how we do things here.

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Pblogger

Thoughts on the crossroads of law, politics and society - for when 140 characters just won't do. This blog contains general information and commentary on legal matters. It is not intended to provide legal advice. This blog discusses the law in England, unless otherwise stated.

Hello, my name is Julia and I’m an adult living with a diagnosis of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). I also have a diagnosis of ADHD and Psychotic Episodes. PDA is a lifelong Pervasive Developmental Disorder and was first described by the late Prof. Elizabeth Newson in 1980. PDA is an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Despite PDA being older than me (just) there are still massive gaps in its recognition, peoples’ understanding and its diagnosis by professionals. I’m one of the lucky ones and this is my story…….